The Grand Opening: How to successfully overcome tourism difficulties?

Hanoi (VNA) – Travel firms hold that in the immediate future, the market should be divided into smaller segments to make the open-door strategy a success.

Tomorrow, on March 15, all tourism activities will return to normal. What the travel firms are looking forward most is the return of foreign visitors. However, this requires approval from the government and efforts by travel firms to ensure the opening takes place smoothly.

Taking customers as centre

The demand for tourism is like a depressed spring ready to release, following a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent holidays saw an explosion in the volume of domestic visitors to destinations, and this brings about optimism for travel firms and service providers for a good recovery.

To this end, Lux Group CEO Pham Ha said in the immediate future, the market should be divided into smaller segments to make the open-door strategy a success, as the segments can recover quickly and sustainably.

In his opinion, in order to effectively attract foreign visitors, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as well as the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism should divide the market by languages, culture and consumption behavior. A key point was to focus efforts by the aviation and tourism industries to anticipate the influx of visitors in May and June, and to prepare for the peak of foreign arrivals in September.

It may take at least four years to reach the level of 2019, but quality is more important than quantity, Ha stressed, recommending that customers must be thought of as the centre of this recovery

Representatives of many firms hold that in 2022, domestic tourism is still a source of vitality to the industry, with the main trend being domestic tourism for now. Recovery should be equal among the destinations, they added.

In the new period, Vietnam’s tourism can shape its trademark on the basis of sea and heritage tourism, with improved infrastructure and eased visa procedures, thus making Vietnam a top tourism destination in Southeast Asia, according to insiders.

The country should establish an office in charge of socio-economic recovery and apply financial leverage policies to help firms, they added.

 Eight tasks to weather crisis

Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, affirmed the industry is now ready and completing all the conditions for the opening of tourism on March 15.

In his opinion, in order to ensure an effective recovery, efforts should be focused on the following eight key tasks

First, to ensure safety for visitors in the context of the pandemic. This is the key item to ensure things go well, he stressed.

Secondly, to restore all the regular commercial fights.

Thirdly, to allow the re-application of the visa policy for visitors like that before 2019.

Fourthly, to create a balance in the supply and demand of inbound and outbound tourists so as to reduce the flight and tour costs for them.

Fifthly, to prepare service capacity and infrastructure for the industry.

Sixthly, to prepare tourism products and other conditions so as to raise competitiveness compared to regional countries.

Seventhly, to continue popularising the “Live Fully in Vietnam” campaign and to join major international tourism fairs, along with promoting Vietnam’s tourism to target markets. And

Lastly, to extend support policies to at least the end of the next year.

“I strongly believe that Vietnam’s tourism and firms will overcome the crisis at an early date, helping create a breakthrough for the whole industry,” Khanh said./.